Natural satellites are relatively small cosmic bodies, which orbit larger “host” planets. Partly dedicated to them a whole science– planetology.
In the 70s, astronomers assumed that Mercury had several celestial bodies dependent on it, as they detected ultraviolet radiation around it. It later turned out that the light belonged to a distant star.
Modern equipment allows us to study the planet closest to the Sun in more detail. Today, all planetary scientists in unison insist that it has no satellites.
Moons of the planet Venus
Venus is called Earth-like because they have similar compositions. But if we talk about natural space objects, then the planet named after the goddess of love is close to Mercury. These two planets in the solar system are unique in that they are completely alone.
Astrologers believe that Venus could have previously seen these, but to date not a single one has been discovered.
How many natural satellites does the Earth have?
Our native land there are many satellites, but only one natural one, which every person knows about from infancy - this is the Moon.
The size of the Moon is more than a quarter of the diameter of the Earth and is 3475 km. It is the only celestial body with such large dimensions relative to the “host”.
Surprisingly, its mass is small - 7.35 × 10²² kg, which indicates low density. Multiple craters on the surface are visible from Earth even without any special devices.
What moons does Mars have?
Mars is a fairly small planet that is sometimes called red because of its scarlet hue. It is given by iron oxide, which is part of its composition. Today, Mars boasts two natural celestial objects.
Both moons, Deimos and Phobos, were discovered by Asaph Hall in 1877. They are the smallest and darkest objects in our comic system.
Deimos is translated as the ancient Greek god who spreads panic and terror. Based on observations, it is gradually moving away from Mars. Phobos, bearing the name of the god who brings fear and chaos - the only satellite, which is so close to the “owner” (at a distance of 6000 km).
The surfaces of Phobos and Deimos are abundantly covered with craters, dust and various loose rocks.
Moons of Jupiter
Today, the giant Jupiter has 67 satellites - more than other planets. The largest of them are considered Galileo's achievement Galileo, since they were discovered by him in 1610.
Among the celestial bodies orbiting Jupiter, it is worth noting:
- Adrasteus, with a diameter of 250 × 147 × 129 km and a mass of ~3.7 × 1016 kg;
- Metis - dimensions 60×40×35 km, weight ~2·1015 kg;
- Thebe, with a scale of 116×99×85 and a mass of ~4.4×1017 kg;
- Amalthea - 250×148×127 km, 2·1018 kg;
- Io with a weight of 9 1022 kg at 3660 × 3639 × 3630 km;
- Ganymede, which with a mass of 1.5·1023 kg had a diameter of 5263 km;
- Europe, occupying 3120 km and weighing 5·1022 kg;
- Callisto, with a diameter of 4820 km and a mass of 1·1023 kg.
The first satellites were discovered in 1610, some from the 70s to the 90s, then in 2000, 2002, 2003. The last of them were discovered in 2012.
Saturn and its moons
62 satellites have been found, of which 53 have names. Most of them are made of ice and rocks, characterized by a reflective feature.
The largest space objects of Saturn:
How many moons does Uranus have?
On this moment Uranus has 27 natural celestial bodies. They are named after characters famous works, by Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare.
Names and list by quantity with description:
Moons of Neptune
The planet, whose name is similar to the name of the great god of the seas, was discovered in 1846. She was the first to be found using mathematical calculations, and not through observations. Gradually, new satellites were discovered until they counted 14.
List
Neptune's moons are named after nymphs and various sea deities from Greek mythology.
The beautiful Nereid was discovered in 1949 by Gerard Kuiper. Proteus is a non-spherical cosmic body and is studied in detail by planetary scientists.
Giant Triton is the iciest object in the solar system with a temperature of -240°C, and is also the only satellite rotating around itself in the direction opposite to the rotation of the “master”.
Almost all of Neptune's satellites have craters and volcanoes on their surface - both fire and ice. They spew from their depths mixtures of methane, dust, liquid nitrogen and other substances. Therefore, a person will not be able to stay on them without special protection.
What are “planetary satellites” and how many are there in the solar system?
Satellites are cosmic bodies that are smaller in size than the “host” planets and rotate in the orbits of the latter. The question of the origin of satellites is still open and is one of the key ones in modern planetology.
Today there are 179 natural space objects, which are distributed as follows:
- Venus and Mercury – 0;
- Earth – 1;
- Mars – 2;
- Pluto – 5;
- Neptune – 14;
- Uranium – 27;
- Saturn – 63;
- Jupiter - 67.
Technology improves every year, finding more celestial bodies. Perhaps new satellites will be discovered soon. We can only wait, constantly checking the news.
The largest satellite in the solar system
Ganymede, a satellite of the giant Jupiter, is considered the largest in our solar system. Its diameter, according to scientists, is 5263 km. The next largest is Titan with a size of 5150 km - the “moon” of Saturn. The top three is closed by Callisto, the “neighbor” of Ganymede, with whom they share one “master”. Its scale is 4800 km.
Why do planets need satellites?
Planetologists have always asked the question “Why are satellites needed?” or “What effect do they have on the planets?” Based on observations and calculations, some conclusions can be drawn.
Natural satellites play important role for the "owners". They create a certain climate on the planet. No less important is the fact that they serve as protection against asteroids, comets, and other dangerous celestial bodies.
Despite such a significant impact, satellites are still not necessary for the planet. Even without their presence, life can form and sustain on it. This conclusion was reached by the American scientist Jack Lissauer from the scientific space center NASA.
To the question: Which planet in the solar system has the most satellites? given by the author Lissa the best answer is Maybe I’m wrong, but at the moment the planet Earth has the most satellites. Only these satellites are artificial (and the question didn’t say which ones). There are several hundred of them.
Answer from Igor Ermolin[newbie]
The correct answer is SATURN
Answer from Wake up[newbie]
and exactly?
Answer from Eurovision[newbie]
Jupiter has Mercury-0 Venus–0 Earth-1 Mars-2 Jupiter-63 Saturn-60 Uranus-27 Neptune-13 The planet Jupiter has 63 satellites. Whereas the planet earth has only one satellite - the Moon. There are 63 satellites of Jupiter greatest number satellites discovered to date from all the planets of the solar system. Besides the more Jupiter also has a ring system of satellites.
Answer from Olya[guru]
At Jupiter.
Answer from User deleted[active]
Saturn
Answer from Marina[expert]
Jupiter
Answer from User deleted[expert]
There is a table here Planet Distance from the Sun Orbital period Rotation period Diameter, km Mass, kg Number of satellites Density g/cm
3
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Satellites of the planets
Mercury and Venus have no satellites. The remaining planets, with the exception of the Earth, have satellites immeasurably smaller than their planets. The Earth has only one natural satellite - the Moon, but it is unusually large compared to itself. Moon smaller than Earth in diameter only 4 times. The largest planet, Jupiter, has the most satellites - 12. The next most massive planet, Saturn, has 10 of them, and the last one was discovered only in 1966. Uranus has 5 satellites, Neptune and Mars have 2 each. The largest of the satellites are Titan (a satellite of Saturn) and Ganymede (the third satellite of Jupiter). They are 1.5 times bigger than the moon in diameter and slightly larger than Mercury. Titan is the only moon to have an atmosphere (made of methane).
All satellites for which rotation has been established, including the Moon, are always turned to their planet with the same side. Therefore, their stellar rotation periods are equal to their periods of revolution around their planets. As a result, it is impossible to see from any planet reverse side her companions. In relation to the Sun, the period of rotation of satellites around their axis is greater than in relation to the stars, since during the revolution of the satellite the planet along with it it will still pass some arc along its circumsolar orbit.
A sidereal month is the period of the Moon's revolution around the Earth relative to the stars; A synodic month is the period of revolution of the Moon around the Earth relative to the Sun. A synodic month is the period of time between equal phases of the Moon. The sidereal month is 27.3 days, and the synodic month is 29.5 days.
The closest elliptical point to Earth lunar orbit is called perigee, and the most distant one is called apogee.
The moon is visible to us as a narrow crescent, the rest of its disk also glows slightly. This phenomenon is called ashen light and is explained by the fact that the Earth illuminates the night side of the Moon with reflected sunlight.
It is easy to understand that the phases of the Earth and the Moon are mutually opposite. When the Moon is almost full, the Earth is visible from the Moon as a narrow crescent.
Returning to the satellites of the planets, we note that the four largest satellites of Jupiter can sometimes be seen even with prism binoculars. Through a telescope, in a few hours you can see how the satellites move noticeably, sometimes passing between Jupiter and Earth, and sometimes going behind Jupiter’s body or into its shadow, into an eclipse. Observing these eclipses of satellites, Roemer in the 17th century. discovered that the speed of propagation of light is finite, and established its value.
Many of the planets' satellites are interesting because of their motion. The moons of Mars are very small. The largest of them is Phobos. It has a diameter of 16 km and is located from the surface of Mars at a distance less than the diameter of the planet. Phobos orbits Mars three times faster than the planet itself rotates on its axis. Therefore, it rises twice a day in the west and twice completely changes all phases, sweeping across the sky.
The distant moons of Jupiter and Saturn are very small, and some of them point in the direction opposite to the rotation of the planet itself.
All 5 satellites of Uranus orbit reverse direction, and the planes of their orbits, like the planet’s equator, are almost perpendicular to the plane of Uranus’s orbit.
Of all the satellites of the solar system, several of the most unusual can be distinguished. They all have some interesting features, which we'll talk below.
Ganymede is the most large satellite
Jupiter's moon Ganymede itself is very similar to the Moon, but it is much larger and is the largest satellite of all. solar system. Another feature is the presence magnetic poles. Ganymede a little larger than Mercury and a little smaller than Mars, it could be mistaken for a planet if it also revolved around the Sun.
Ganymede
Miranda is not the most attractive companion
The satellites of Uranus are not very presentable. A satellite called Miranda stands out from all these satellites. Its name is beautiful, but appearance Not good. However, a closer look at Miranda's surface reveals the most diverse landscape in the solar system: giant ridges alternate with deep plains, and some canyons are 12 times deeper than the famous Grand Canyon!
Miranda
Callisto - crater champion
Jupiter's satellite Calisto immediately appears to be a dead planet that has no signs of life. A lot of meteorites fell on this satellite and, accordingly, they all left behind traces, which are now presented in the form of craters on the satellite. This is the main thing distinctive feature Calisto. It contains the most a large number of craters from all planets and satellites of the solar system.
Callisto (bottom and left), Jupiter (top and right) and Europa (below and left of the Great Red Spot)
Dactyl is a satellite of an asteroid
Dactyl is a satellite whose main distinguishing feature is that it is the smallest of all the satellites in the solar system. It is only 1.6 km long, but it orbits the asteroid. Dactyl is the companion of Ida. According to ancient Greek myth, Ida was the name of a mountain in which tiny creatures lived - dactyls.
Asteroid Ida and its satellite Dactyl
Epimetheus and Janus - the eternal race
In the distant past, the two satellites of Saturn were one, but after the split they began to move almost in the same orbit, changing places every four years and miraculously avoiding collision.
Epimetheus and Janus
Enceladus the Ringbearer
Enceladus is one of the largest moons of Saturn. Almost all of it falls on him and is reflected sunlight, as a result of which it is considered the most reflective object in the Solar System. Enceladus has geysers that emit water vapor and dust into open space. Scientists believe that it was due to the volcanic activity of its satellite that Saturn acquired an E ring, through which Enceladus’ orbit will lie.
E Ring and Enceladus
Triton - a satellite with unique volcanoes
Triton is Neptune's largest satellite. This satellite differs from others in that it revolves around the planet in the direction opposite to its rotation around the Sun. Triton has a large number of volcanoes that emit non-lava, water and ammonia, which freeze instantly afterwards.
Triton
Europe - ocean satellite
Europa is a satellite of Jupiter that has the smoothest surface. This feature is due to the fact that Europe is all covered with ocean, and on its surface there is a thin layer of ice. Under the ice there is a huge amount of liquid - several times more than on Earth. Some researchers who study this satellite have come to the conclusion that there may be life in Europa's ocean.
Europe
Io is a volcanic hell
On Jupiter's moon Io constantly occurs volcanic activity. This is due to the very nature of the planet Jupiter, as a result of which the bowels of the satellite are subject to heating. There are more than 400 volcanoes on the surface, and volcano formation occurs continuously; they can be easily noticed when flying past. But for the same reason, craters are practically invisible on the surface of Io, since they are filled with lava that erupts from volcanoes.
Titan is the best candidate for colonization
Saturn's moon Titan is the most unpredictable and... a unique companion. It has long been proven that it has a denser atmosphere than on Earth. Which contains nitrogen, methane and other gases. For a long time it was unknown what was hidden under these thick clouds of the satellite, and only after the device took pictures, it became clear that there were rivers and lakes of a metonic and titanium nature. It is believed that Titan also has underground reservoirs, which, coupled with low gravity, makes it the best candidate for colonization by earthlings.
Titan's upper atmosphere and Saturn's south pole
Satellites are small bodies that orbit planets. In the solar system, two planets (Mercury and Venus) have no satellites, the Earth has one, and Mars has two. A large number of satellites are attracted by the magnetic field of Neptune (13 satellites), Uranus (27 satellites), Saturn (60 satellites). But greatest number satellites of Jupiter. There are 63 of them! Now you know which planet has more satellites in the Solar System.
In addition to such a huge number of satellites, Jupiter also has a system of rings. The first 4 satellites of Jupiter, the largest, were discovered by Galileo at the beginning of the 17th century. He gave them the names Europa, Ganymede, Io, Callisto (names of mythical heroes). With the development of telescopic technology, the remaining satellites began to be discovered; in the 70s of the last century, 13 of them were discovered. At the beginning of the third millennium, 47 more satellites of Jupiter were discovered. They are quite small, their radius reaches 4 km. Who knows how many more planetary satellites will be discovered over time when scientific and technical progress humanity...
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Which planet has the most satellites?
The planet Jupiter has the largest number of satellites among the planets of the Solar System - as many as 63. In addition to them, this planet also boasts a system of rings. The first 4 satellites were discovered back in the Middle Ages in the 17th century using a telescope, and the last (most of them) - at the end of the 20th century using spacecraft. The size of most of them is not too large - only 2 to 4 kilometers in diameter. A little fewer satellites Saturn has 60. But one of its satellites, Titan, is the second largest in the solar system and has a diameter of 5100 km.
The third largest number of satellites is Uranus. He has 27 of them. And planets such as Venus and Mercury have no satellites at all. 5-11-2010
Have you read the answer to the question Which planet has the most satellites? and if you liked the material, bookmark it - “Which planet has the most satellites?? . Which car is best for taxi work? This is controversial...
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At Jupiter...
Mercury has no satellites.
Venus also has no satellites
The Earth has one satellite: the Moon
The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth. It is the second brightest object in the earth's sky after the Sun and the fifth largest natural satellite in the solar system. Also, it is the first (and as of 2009 only) extraterrestrial object natural origin, which a person visited. The average distance between the centers of the Earth and the Moon is 384,467 km.
The planet Mars has two satellites: Phobos (Greek - fear) and Deimos (Greek - horror).
Both satellites rotate around their axes with the same period as around Mars, therefore they are always turned to the planet with the same side. The tidal influence of Mars gradually slows down the movement of Phobos, and will eventually lead to the fall of the satellite onto Mars. On the contrary, Deimos is moving away from Mars.
Jupiter has 63 moons
The moons of Jupiter are the natural satellites of the planet Jupiter. To date, scientists know 63...
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Central star Our system, around which all the planets pass in different orbits, is called the Sun. Its age is about 5 billion years. It is a yellow dwarf, so the size of the star is small. Her thermonuclear reactions They don't get used up very quickly. The solar system has reached approximately the halfway point of its life cycle. After 5 billion years, the balance of gravitational forces will be disrupted, the star will increase in size and gradually warm up. Thermonuclear fusion converts all of the sun's hydrogen into helium. At this point, the size of the star will be three times larger. Ultimately, the star will cool down and shrink. Today the Sun consists almost entirely of hydrogen (90%) and some helium (10%).
Today the satellites of the Sun are 8 planets, around which others revolve celestial bodies, several dozen comets, as well as a huge number of asteroids. All these objects move in their orbit. If you add up the mass of all the solar satellites, it turns out that they are 1000 times lighter than their star....
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